3 ms·

This isn't the greatest submission and lacks any semblance of context. The poster is in Netherlands apparently and the new team in Germany? I have no idea what

by Rapzid 2y ago

This isn't the greatest submission and lacks any semblance of context. The poster is in Netherlands apparently and the new team in Germany? I have no idea what to make of this.

LeafItAlone 2y ago
My read of it is that a US team was laid off. The poster is in NL and has to train he Munich team. The poster was not laid off.
- zem 2y ago
  yeah, that's basically it.
bsimpson 2y ago
Google pays people by region. As I recall, SF, NYC, and Seattle get full wages, and other geos get discounted by a certain percentage. If you live in the US but not in one of those metros, your pay could be ~15% lower. Yesterday's layoffs seem to have been framed as reorgs. Some teams have been wholly dismissed. Some have been consolidated (two teams -> one team). There does seem to be a pattern that favors people in lower cost regions. For instance, two teams get combined and the higher cost manager is laid off. Or a whole team is laid off, but those duties are being restaffed by people in a lower wage office.
- sitkack 2y ago
  Wages by Geo is a Urs Hözle move, whom should get paid in NZ dollars.
  - paganel 2y ago
    Interesting, didn’t know that. I remember older threads of people fawning his accomplishments, but nothing about him being a cheap b*stard when it came to his colleagues salaries. We should do more of this name and shaming in our industry, it’s one of the few levers we still have at our disposition.
    - mihai_maruseac 2y ago
      The issue is that now they're hiding. Those who do the decision no longer send emails, no longer show up in townhalls (if they organized). There was a townhall for the past wave of layoffs where the exec in charge preferred to take the meeting via video call from a huddle in the same building as the auditorium where the townhall was taking place. Just to not be seen with the employees.
  - lotsofpulp 2y ago
    Wages by geo is just “pay the lowest price you can for the requisite quality of product/service you need”, which is what effectively every person does day in and day out.
- bananapub 2y ago
  for many many yearsr it's been a SVP-level project to move people and teams out of the expensive US parts to cheaper regions - Munich was a particular target for some reason (maybe it was the cheapest medium eng office in that timezone). there used to be a lot more carrot, though.
- CydeWeys 2y ago
  > As I recall, SF, NYC, and Seattle get full wages, and other geos get discounted by a certain percentage. If you live in the US but not in one of those metros, your pay could be ~15% lower. Seattle is actually in the tier below SF and NYC, which makes its pay around 10% less. However, it's mostly a wash when you consider that Seattle doesn't have state income tax, so your net is roughly the same in both places.

by Rapzid 2y ago

This isn't the greatest submission and lacks any semblance of context. The poster is in Netherlands apparently and the new team in Germany? I have no idea what to make of this.

LeafItAlone 2y ago

My read of it is that a US team was laid off. The poster is in NL and has to train he Munich team. The poster was not laid off.

zem 2y ago
yeah, that's basically it.

bsimpson 2y ago

Google pays people by region. As I recall, SF, NYC, and Seattle get full wages, and other geos get discounted by a certain percentage. If you live in the US but not in one of those metros, your pay could be ~15% lower. Yesterday's layoffs seem to have been framed as reorgs. Some teams have been wholly dismissed. Some have been consolidated (two teams -> one team). There does seem to be a pattern that favors people in lower cost regions. For instance, two teams get combined and the higher cost manager is laid off. Or a whole team is laid off, but those duties are being restaffed by people in a lower wage office.

sitkack 2y ago
Wages by Geo is a Urs Hözle move, whom should get paid in NZ dollars.
- paganel 2y ago
  Interesting, didn’t know that. I remember older threads of people fawning his accomplishments, but nothing about him being a cheap b*stard when it came to his colleagues salaries. We should do more of this name and shaming in our industry, it’s one of the few levers we still have at our disposition.
  - mihai_maruseac 2y ago
    The issue is that now they're hiding. Those who do the decision no longer send emails, no longer show up in townhalls (if they organized). There was a townhall for the past wave of layoffs where the exec in charge preferred to take the meeting via video call from a huddle in the same building as the auditorium where the townhall was taking place. Just to not be seen with the employees.
- lotsofpulp 2y ago
  Wages by geo is just “pay the lowest price you can for the requisite quality of product/service you need”, which is what effectively every person does day in and day out.
bananapub 2y ago
for many many yearsr it's been a SVP-level project to move people and teams out of the expensive US parts to cheaper regions - Munich was a particular target for some reason (maybe it was the cheapest medium eng office in that timezone). there used to be a lot more carrot, though.
CydeWeys 2y ago
> As I recall, SF, NYC, and Seattle get full wages, and other geos get discounted by a certain percentage. If you live in the US but not in one of those metros, your pay could be ~15% lower. Seattle is actually in the tier below SF and NYC, which makes its pay around 10% less. However, it's mostly a wash when you consider that Seattle doesn't have state income tax, so your net is roughly the same in both places.